Category: Miles Davis

Doo-Bop was jazz musician Miles Davis’ final studio album, which would have marked the beginning of the artist’s turn to hip-hop-oriented tracks. However, Davis died on September 28, 1991, at which time only six pieces for the album had been completed. To finish off the album, producer Easy Mo Bee was asked to take some of the unreleased trumpet performances (stemming from what Davis called the RubberBand Session), and build tracks that Miles ‘would have loved’ around the recordings. The album’s posthumous tracks (as stated in the liner notes) are “High Speed Chase” and “Fantasy”. [source]

If On the Corner suggested hip-hop beats as far back as two decades ago, then consider Doo-Bop as offspring. Miles’ teaming with producer Easy Mo Bee is a natural — more in league with England’s acid jazz scene than anything in the trumpeter’s recent canon. Those who’ve howled over the post-Bithes Brew work will find no solace here; instead, chalk this up as one of Miles’ most entertaining efforts. [source]

On the Corner is a studio album by jazz musician Miles Davis, recorded in June and July 1972 and released later that year on Columbia Records. It was scorned by critics at the time of its release and was one of Davis’s worst-selling recordings. Its critical standing has improved dramatically with the passage of time, as it is now seen as a strong forerunner of the musical techniques of post punk, hip hop, drum and bass, and electronic music. [source]

I didn’t discover that until ten years ago but I love the grooves on it and it’s interesting in that there’s no melodies. It’s sounds like electronic music, except it has the fortunate aspect of being played by humans. It’s influenced obviously by James Brown, one of my favourite artists. James Brown is like the Bach of modern music, a fantastic composer, so complicated and yet so much below the hips as well. I love On the Corner because it’s kind of abstract but also so compulsive. I guess it’s uncharacteristic for Miles, and it caused a lot of controversy at the time. I’m not so fond of, say, Bitches Brew, with the electric guitar, but I also love Sketches of Spain, with the great arranger, Gil Evans, who also did Out Of The Cool. I like really arranged and cinematic jazz. That’s enough on that one! [source]

All songs written by Miles Davis: A1, On the Corner; New York Girl; Thinkin’ One Thing and Doin’ Another; Vote for Miles – 20:02 / A2, Black Satin – 5:20 / B1, One and One” – 6:09 / B2, Helen Butte; Mr. Freedom X – 23:18

The first major recording session for the album, which took place on April 7, 1970, was almost accidental: John McLaughlin, awaiting Miles’s arrival, began improvising riffs on his guitar, and was shortly joined by Michael Henderson and Billy Cobham. Meanwhile, the producers brought in Herbie Hancock, who had been passing through the building on unrelated business, to play the Farfisa organ. Miles arrived at last and began his solo at about 2:19 on the first track. The album’s two long tracks were assembled in the editing room by producer Teo Macero. “Right Off” is constructed from several takes and a solo by Davis recorded in November 1969. It contains a riff from Sly and the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song”. Much of the track “Yesternow” is built around a slightly modified version of the bassline from the James Brown song “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”; this may be a deliberate allusion to the song’s Black Power theme as it relates to the film’s subject. “Yesternow” also incorporates a brief excerpt of “Shhh/Peaceful” from Davis’s 1969 album In a Silent Way and a 10-minute section comprising several takes of the tune “Willie Nelson” from a session on 18 February 1970.